Business BTEC

Linked careers

Sales and customer service

Sales staff have the all-important job of selling the goods that an organisation makes, or the services it provides, to potential customers. Sales staff normally have direct contact with customers, who may be the public or people working in other businesses. Jobs include:

• sales representatives – or reps as they are often known – who travel around visiting existing customers and potential new customers, demonstrating or explaining the products
• customer services staff, who may deal with customers in person, over the telephone or online – processing new orders, dealing with enquiries etc
• sales managers, who lead a sales team and have responsibility for making sure targets are met.

Marketing and advertising

Marketing is about making sure that your organisation is providing the products that your customers really want to buy. Marketing staff must identify goods or services that customers are looking for and the price they are prepared to pay; they also need to understand longer-term trends in the market place, in order to help managers plan for the future.

Marketing involves a wide range of activities, including market research to identify possible new or improved products, the testing of new goods or services on intended customers, planning marketing campaigns, deciding on sales promotions, producing marketing materials and so on.

Advertising is concerned with promoting an organisation’s goods or services. Many people in advertising work for advertising agencies that produce the creative ideas for their clients’ campaigns. Jobs include account executives, who are the link between the client and the agency, account planners, who research and analyse what is happening in the market place, and copywriters, who provide the words for adverts.

Finance and accounting

All private and public sector organisations need staff to keep track of the money! Invoicing customers, dealing with bills, paying staff and keeping financial records are just some of the areas of work. Accountancy firms employ staff to audit the accounts of, and provide other financial services to, their clients.

Opportunities are available for staff at all levels, from accounts assistants and payroll clerks through to professional accountants and finance directors.

Human resources

Human resources (HR) departments look after the recruitment, training and development of their organisation’s workforce. HR work also includes employee relations, and looking after the health, safety and welfare of staff.

There are opportunities at all levels, from HR assistant or administrator to HR manager or business partner. Most opportunities are within large organisations; in small businesses, general managers often take on HR tasks as part of their work.

Logistics

Logistics is concerned with making sure goods, materials or components are in the right place at the right time. For example, goods that have been manufactured need to be distributed so that they reach the customer on time and in perfect condition. People who plan, control and manage this supply and distribution process may be called logistics managers or supply chain managers.

Working in logistics can mean working for a logistics firm offering the services of a fleet of vehicles or working in a specialist department of a company that runs its own logistics operations.